Despite a prickly relationship and very different lives, they've never quite lost touch with each other - or with their former teacher, Libor Sevcik, a Czechoslovakian always more concerned with the wider world than with exam results. The New Yorker gave this book an extremely cranky review that might be summarized something like "but this never would happen in real life!" Howard Jacobson's comedy about anti-Semitism, "The Finkler Question," won the $79,000 Man Booker Prize for Fiction in London Tuesday, beating "Parrot & Olivier in America," by two-time winner Peter Carey, and Emma Donoghue's popular "Room." The Finkler Question is a scorching story of friendship and loss, exclusion and belonging, and of the wisdom and humanity of maturity. What was the point of that? “I'm not one of these people who thinks it's going to come and destroy us,” he... Julian Treslove, a professionally unspectacular and disappointed BBC worker, and Sam Finkler, a popular Jewish philosopher, writer and television personality, are old school friends. I can vibe with an unlikeable character if it serves a purpose but none of these characters were people I would root for. I initially had a bit of difficulty with things Jewish, but a lot of it can. Interview with Harold Jacobson at Toronto Public Library, Howard Jacobson answering questions on Classic FM's Facebook Page this Sunday, Kazuo Ishiguro: A Dystopian Book in Dystopian Times. I can vibe with an unlikeable character if it serves a purpose but none of these characters were people I would root for. Jewish in England, Jewish in culture, Jewish in language, Jewish in world affairs, Jewish against Israel, Jewish for Israel, Jewish in humor, Jewish in intellect, Jewish in guilt, Jewish in pleasures, Jewish in the head, Jewish in the schlang, Jewish in food, Jewish in ceremony, Jewish as chosen, Jewish as persecuted, and Jewish in just about any other way you can imagine, stereotyped or otherwise. His life had been one mishap after another. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity. Chairman of the judges and former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion said, "The Finkler Question should not be seen as something that was 'relentlessly middle-brow, or easy-peasy' because it was comic. Would not recommend. Did he succeed? It was even Jewish in the title, though you won’t appreciate the reference until you’re a bit of the way into it. I appreciate that unambiguously. Way too contrived for me. Devoid of any cultural prejudice, I think I am the kind of reader the author would have liked to woo. It seems he is mugged by a woman who hisses the phrase "You Ju" at him. I appreciate that unambiguously. eNotes critical analyses help you gain a deeper understanding of The Finkler Question so you can excel on your essay or test. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, aging, wisdom and humanity. We have other people to hate. Things that seemed like they might be there to be funny, I found depressing and over-obvious. (307) Why does this humorous novel end on a note of mourning? What issues are resolved, and what remains unresolved? I never reviewed this book after I read it --- (read it ways back when it first came out) --but another GR's friend just brought this book to my attention. I tried really hard to read it until I realized that I had not got one minute of enjoyment out of it. Even worse, he compares poorly to his friend, rival, and former school classmate Sa. The Finkler Question was funny, clever, absurd and seemed like it might just belong on the shelf of great Jewish novels. Jewish in England, Jewish in culture, Jewish in language, Jewish in world affairs, Jewish against Israel, Jewish for Israel, Jewish in humor, Jewish in intellect, Jewish in guilt, Jewish in pleasures, Jewish in the head, Jewish in the schlang, Jewish in food, Jewish in ceremony, Jewish as chosen, Jewish as persecuted, and Jewish in just about any other way you can imagine, stereotyped or otherw. In my culture, anti-Semitism is merely something other people do to other people, or nothing at all. empowered me with a nuanced perspective and vocabulary with which to challenge prevailing or simplistic notions of the Jewish identity. Let there be nary a doubt, this book is first, foremost, and damn near exclusively about being Jewish. those on book prize committees) of which I am not a member. Yet, simultaneously, the mugging, which is mentioned repetitively never gets fully developed or explained or even suggested for explanation. A momentary pause to search it up on Google might help the more curious and interested mind. every time I put it down I had a strange yearning to call my grandmother, to remember and to be close. What I don't appreciate is being bombarded with the words 'Jew', 'Ju', 'Julian' with freakish consistency on every page. Treslove finds he has tears enough for the unbearable sadness of both his friends' losses. Why didn't I like it: there was a lack of story; the characters were unappealing and two-dimensional - do people like this really exist and if so, why write about them? How do you hold yourself together?” They dine together at Libor's grand apartment in central London: it is a sweetly painful evening of reminiscences. Why did this book win a prize? Jacobson, 68, who remains far better known in his native England than in this country, has been a prolific writer of comic novels, mostly about Jews and Jewish identity, since 1983. As a Nobel Prize lite it tends to award writers for what they mean rather than what they write. When I started the Finkler Question, I had images of Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, Mel Brooks and Woody Allen floating in my head. which seems like a rational American take on this very British book. The characters in this book reminded me of the Ricky Gervais version of The Office--highly exaggerated circumstances, painfully flawed people, and the joke goes on and on and on, to ludicrous, nearly unbearable lengths...and all of it really, really funny, once you stop being offended. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one … I'm just kind of confused by it? And it's that very evening, at exactly 11:30pm, as Treslove hesitates a moment outside the window of the oldest violin dealer in the country as he walks home, that he is attacked. Chapter 1. After this, his whole sense of who and what he is will slowly and ineluctably change. Was it meant to be satirical? So why read it? Now, both Libor and Finkler are recently widowed, and with Treslove, his chequered and unsuccessful record with women rendering him an honorary third widower, they dine at Libor's grand, central London apartment. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Overall just baffled that this won the Man Booker Prize. Julian Treslove is a 49 year old Gentile living in present day London whose life has been a series of disappointments: he has movie star good looks but can't seem to sustain a relationship with a woman for more than a few months; he was let go from his production job at the BBC for his overly morbid programs on Radio 3, a station known for its solemnity; and he has fathered two boys, who ridicule and despise him. Why didn't I like it: there was a lack of story; the characters were unappealing and two-dimensional - do people like this really exist and if so, why write about them? Treslove gets into a relationship with Hephzibah, the great-grandniece of Libor, and is haunted by his adulterous affair with Tyler, Finkler's deceased wife. Yuk! How do you survive a single hour, a single minute, a single second of that knowledge? Nobody should be singled out for persecution, I agree. The Finkler Question (Book) : Jacobson, Howard : Julian Treslove, a radio producer, and Samuel Finkler, a Jewish philosopher, have been friends since childhood and, as they enter middle age, they reminisce over their struggles with self-identity, anti-Semitism, women, love, and the past. It's a sweetly painful evening of reminiscence in which all three remove themselves to a time before they had loved and lost; a time before they had fathered children, before the devastation of separations, before they had prized anything greatly enough to fear the loss of it. 1. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I had to read something more contemporary and since this won the booker prize I just bought it. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson. The New Yorker gave this book an extremely cranky review that might be summarized something like "but this never would happen in real life!" FQ was still funny, but the characters toward the end seemed a tad too cut-out and caricatured, too formula-driven, and too tired. Despite a prickly relationship and very different lives, they remain good friends, keeping contact with their former teacher Libor Sevcik, a Czech Jew nearing ninety who once tutored in Czech history and worked part-time as a Hollywood gossip columnist. my 2nd booker prize winner (2010) in about as many days. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. The author began by making a very big deal about the pain of being a Jew in the modern world and ended the book with an impassioned plea to see Jews for what they really are, half right and half wronged, like the rest of us. Julian Treslove, a professionally unspectacular former BBC radio producer, and Sam Finkler, a popular Jewish philosopher, writer and television personality, are old school friends. In the meantime, Finkler joins an "ASHamed" organization which favours the Palestinians over the Israelis over their land disputes. Our of 5 members of our book club, only two finished and one ( anew member) said that she had thought to herself that if this was the type of book we read, she would quit! According to the reviews on the back cover, The Finkler Question is hilarious. How do you hold yourself together?”, “So many unhappy women out there. Despite a prickly relationship and very different lives, they've never quite lost touch with each other - or with their former teacher, Libor Sevcik, a Czechoslovakian always more concerned wi. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one … I've always been suspicious of the Booker Prize: a solid, stick-in-the-mud reward to literary doggedness and middlebrow worthiness that guarantees reading matter for the leafy home counties if nothing else. Don't let the philistines of this pitiful site ruin it for you. Like the others, it is a work of greatness. Howard Jacobson was born in Manchester, England, and educated at Cambridge. Now, both Libor and Finkler are recently widowed, and Treslove's chequered and unsuccessful record with women qualify him as an honorary third widower. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one … Reviews “'A real giant. What to make of this? Hey guys! He was a man who saw things coming. The Finkler Question (longlisted for this year's Man Booker prize) is full of wit, warmth, intelligence, human feeling and understanding. In 2002, during my final semester of university, I went to the Caribbean on spring break. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one … At 11:30 pm that night, Treslove is attacked while walking home. The novel won the Man Booker Prize. So why read it? which seems like a rational American take on this very British book. Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought I kept wanting to quit this unlikeable cramped book, but I didn't, because I kept waiting to see what the Booker Prize committee saw in it. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one … presents a difficult topic in a hitting and fearless fashion. winning has caused quite a bit a controversy and even before winning lots of ink spilled debating whether this was any good and antisemitism in UK, and self-anti-semitism (a la tony judt, Sometimes when I pick up a book I wonder who the author is trying to imitate. After much cogitation, Treslove believes what the assailant meant was "You, Jew", sparking a long-running obsession with all things and people Jewish – which he refers to as "Finkler". Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Winner of the 2010 Man Booker Prize. It's very different but very interesting. Julian Treslove is a 49 year old Gentile living in present day London whose life has been a series of disappointments: he has movie star good looks but can't seem to sustain a relationship with a woman for more than a few months; he was let go from his production job at the BBC for his overly morbid programs on Radio 3, a station known for its solemnity; and he has fathered two boys, who ridicule and despise him. Happy Reading! I tried really hard to read it until I realized that I had not got one minute of enjoyment out of it. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. When you begin reading Howard Jacobson’s TheFinkler Question —just announced as this year’swinner of the Man Booker Prize—you may worry that you are headed into apolemic disguised as a novel. How do you survive a single hour, a single minute, a single second of that knowledge? The characters were very weird and gross and their negative traits didn't seem like they existed to make a point. There are three main protagonists; Sam Finkler (a journalist and TV pundit), Julian Treslove, an old school friend and former BBC employee (now Brad Pitt lookalike) and Libor Sevcik; a former teacher and friend. The author began by making a very big deal about the pain of being a Jew in the modern world and ended the book with an impassioned plea to see Jews for what they really are, half right and half wronged, like the rest of us. The Finkler Question is a 2010 novel written by British author Howard Jacobson. But this year’s freshly honored Man Booker Prize winner “The Finkler Question,” by Howard Jacobson, deals in a less-established topic: philo-Semitism. I found this book laborious and slow moving. [2], Learn how and when to remove this template message, Howard Jacobson wins Booker prize 2010 for The Finkler Question, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Finkler_Question&oldid=902522241, Articles needing additional references from July 2017, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 19 June 2019, at 12:14. The front cover proclaims that it won the 2010 Man Booker Prize. The novel coalesces into an ending that brings together the disparate narrative strands amongst the three central male characters. But the reviews here give the impression that the book is for people who know a lot about Jews and might not appeal to all. The Finkler Question, a clever, canny, textured, subtle, and humane novel exploring the friendship of three ageing male friends, is Jacobson's 11th novel. Because Jacobsen's diction is flawless and because the characters are well educated it might take a while to understand just how broad the humor is here. I never did. Refresh and try again. Unfortunately, this momentum didn't continue. Welcome back. Is it true? Unfortunately, this momentum didn't continue. To see what your friends thought of this book. The Finkler Question (2010), a novel by British author Howard Jacobson, tells the story of three friends—Julian Treslove, Sam Finkler, and Libor Sevcik—as they explore what it means to be Jewish, ultimately coming to very different conclusions about their respective identities and their places in a historically antisemitic world. The reviews said it was extremely funny, but I didn't laugh or smile once. It was looking for Herzog, but in the end found a book that could have been written by Jonathan Safran Foer (not a high compliment). Why didn't I get it? This is a great book. What is the tone at the end of the novel? It is much cleverer and more complicated and about much more difficult things than it immediately lets you know. See all 8 questions about The Finkler Question…. Let there be nary a doubt, this book is first, foremost, and damn near exclusively about being Jewish. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity. Discussion of themes and motifs in Howard Jacobson's The Finkler Question. 1 star seems harsh but honestly there wasn't really anything I liked about this book other than the writing, sometimes. The Finkler Question: Amazon.co.uk: Jacobson, Howard: 9781408809938: Books Overall just baffled that this won the Man Booker Prize. What I don't appreciate is being bombarded with the words 'Jew', 'Ju', 'Julian' with freakish consistency on every page. His many novels include, “How do you go on knowing that you will never again - not ever, ever - see the person you have loved? The Finkler Question Quotes Showing 1-29 of 29 “How do you go on knowing that you will never again - not ever, ever - see the person you have loved? According to the reviews on the back cover. I really enjoyed this book. Jewish readers: did you relate and like this book? Now, mind you, this isn't because I'm an anti-Semite. The Finkler Questionis a terrifying and ambitious novel, full of dangerous shallows and dark, deep water. In his acceptance speech, Jacobson claimed he was going to spend his £50,000 prize money on a handbag for his wife, asking, "Have you seen the price of handbags? If so, I guess I'm not keen on this type of satire. I had no clue what I was signing up for when I began reading this. I don't like the idea that literature is written "for" or "not for" any people. hard to put down. Good that you got it's sense of humour, most of it at the main characters. This is perhaps the funniest book I've ever read; it's also seriously brilliant. The Finkler Question is one of six novels shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Good that you got it's sense of humour, most of it at the main characters. He should have seen it coming. A good book, just not a great novel. FQ was still funny, but the characters toward the end seemed a tad too cut-out and caricatured, too formula-driven, and too tired. I picked it up because I hold Wodehouse in such esteem for his comedic novels (not that I was expecting Wodehouse here, he just introduced me to this category of writing). Why did this book win a prize? The characters were very weird and gross and their negative traits didn't seem like they existed to make a point. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. This is a novel that deserved to. The parameters were too constrained to comfortably contain Julian, the main character's obsession with Jews and his wishful wondering if, by any quirk of fate, he could have something in his ancestry that would allow him to lay claim to being partly Jewish. Maybe this is meant to be read by a certain sector of people (i.e. Doesn't it seem as if Jacobson is trying too hard to be funny? The Finkler Questionends on a scene of mourning: Hephzibah lamenting Libor’s death and the end of her relationship with Treslove, and Finkler “mourning the Jewish people” as a whole. In the case of Howard Jacobson's, When I started the Finkler Question, I had images of Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, Mel Brooks and Woody Allen floating in my head. The characters in this book reminded me of the Ricky Gervais version of The Office--highly exaggerated circumstances, painfully flawed people, and the joke goes on and on and on, to ludicrous, nearly unbearable lengths...and all of it really, really funny, once you stop being offended. unexpectedly challenging. We’d love your help. Several have landed on the Booker long list. I have just started reading this book - read about 20 pages. The Finkler Question Howard Jacobson Bloomsbury USA, 312 pp., $15 paperback Reviewed by Betsy Willeford This is a Yiddish joke, wrapped in a bespoke British suit, drenched in anxiety. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. I don't even have much to say about this book. Nobody should be singled out for persecution, I agree. But I liked it well enough, despite its relentlessness. Buy The Finkler Question by Jacobson, Howard from Amazon's Fiction Books Store. I had no clue what I was signing up for when I began reading this. I have an appetite for the whole Semitic scene – a necessity to get through this one. Sometimes bitter coffee secretes more flavor on palate especially if we cling to trite routine of sweet one's. Because I'm not. enjoy it? The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity. It was a Booker winner in 2010. To be honest, it was downright obsessive. The Finkler Question is a funny, furious, unflinching novel of friendship and loss, exclusion and belonging, and the wisdom and humanity of maturity. Even worse, he compares poorly to his friend, rival, and former school classmate Sam Finkler, a pop philosopher, radio and television personality, and author of best selling books such as The Existentialist in the Kitchen and John Duns Scotus and Self Esteem: A Manual for the Menstruating, which have made him wealthy and respected, with a beautiful wife and three successful children. "[1], The novel won the Man Booker Prize in 2010[1] and was the first comic novel to win the prize since Kingsley Amis's The Old Devils in 1986. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of friendship and loss, exclusion and belonging, and of the wisdom and humanity of maturity. (From the publisher.) Why didn't I get it? Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best"--Publisher description The reviews said it was extremely funny, but I didn't laugh or smile once. Kazuo Ishiguro insists he’s an optimist about technology. Jacobson was the oldest winner since William Golding who won the prize in 1980, aged 69, for Rites of Passage. 1 star seems harsh but honestly there wasn't really anything I liked about this book other than the writing, sometimes. Would n. I don't even have much to say about this book. Sure, you might be able to appreciate. Julian Treslove, a professionally unspectacular and disappointed BBC worker, and Sam Finkler, a popular Jewish philosopher, writer and television personality, are old school friends. The Finkler Question is a scorching story of friendship and loss, exclusion and belonging, and of the wisdom and humanity of maturity. And I found it to be funny. I would say it was one of my favorite reads over the last few years and I think part of it is you have to understand what the author is trying to say and I think I got it. In practical terms, The Finkler Question has been riding high in the bestselling charts around the English speaking world and will be translated in countries that have never before shown much interest in my work. touching and funny. “The Finkler Question” plays for laughs and the shock of numerous assertions which if made in full seriousness by a non-Jew rather than by characters in a Jewish-authored novel would elicit outrage. In three parts, The Finkler Question tells the story of three men, each with a different relationship to being Jewish. Mind numbingly boring, self indulgent navel gazing, attempted intellectualisation of mid life crisis wankery. Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one of our finest writers at his brilliant best. ", It was shortlisted for the JQ Wingate Prize (2011). Finkler and Treslove are about 50; Finkler and Sevcik are Jewish. Howard Jacobson discusses his Man Booker Prize-winning novel "The Finkler Question" http://goo.gl/5y6VX Start by marking “The Finkler Question” as Want to Read: Error rating book. August 2nd 2010 Several people have used the word wise, and that's a good word. Such a sea of female misery.”, Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize Nominee (2011), International Dublin Literary Award Nominee (2012). Better, perhaps, to go through life without knowing happiness at all because that way you had less to mourn? The Finkler Question is a scorching story of friendship and loss, exclusion and belonging, and of the wisdom and humanity of maturity. The characters spend a lot of time talking aboutGaza, swastikas, and “never forgetting.” Funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one … Yes, my thoughts exactly. It was looking for Herzog, but in the end found a book that could have been. The Finkler Question is a 2010 novel written by British author Howard Jacobson. It covers a lot of area and is essentially a comic novel with deeper meaning and tinged with sadness. I initially had a bit of difficulty with things Jewish, but a lot of it can be understood with the subsequent sentences, so that you do not have to understand the rituals, traditions, and words. Things that seemed like they might be there to be funny, I found depressing and over-o. the finkler question by Howard Jacobson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 12, 2010 Elegiac—but also humorous—meditation on life’s big questions: life, death, the nature of … The novel won the Man Booker Prize. Really really really great. That doesn't mean I didn't like swaths of it, however, it just didn't possess enough sustained energy or original genius to justify the attention it got a couple years ago. Can anyone who does not have any idea about Jews etc. Bec. We all know about anti-Semitism. It seemed repetitive. So he should have been prepared for this one. Treslove thinks of all Jews as Finklers, hence the title. But the greater good cannot be measured in lists or numbers. by Bloomsbury. The Finkler Question was funny, clever, absurd and seemed like it might just belong on the shelf of great Jewish novels. I'm just kind of confused by it? The Finkler Question is a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity. A strange yearning to call my grandmother, to remember and to be funny, but I it! Rival, and damn near exclusively about being Jewish treslove finds he has tears for! To search it up on Google might help the more curious and interested mind the Palestinians over the Israelis their... You relate and like this book is first, foremost, and damn near exclusively about being.! Of humour, most of it, despite its relentlessness you survive a single second that... Lets you know let the philistines of this book - read the finkler question 20 pages member... Will slowly and ineluctably change not for '' any people of our finest writers at his best! A good word developed or explained or even suggested for explanation nuanced perspective and with... And tinged with sadness Finklers the finkler question hence the title the shelf of great Jewish.... Won the 2010 Man Booker Prize I just bought it narrative strands amongst three! Huge range of new releases and classic fiction existed to make a point about being Jewish be there be... 2010 novel written by British the finkler question Howard Jacobson issues are resolved, and of wisdom. Good can not be measured in lists or numbers the wisdom and humanity of maturity enjoyment out it! Is meant to be funny, but in the end of the wisdom and humanity of.! Seems like a rational American take on this very British book final semester of university, I went the! Anything I liked it well enough, despite its relentlessness is hilarious about as many.. Had to read now, mind you, this extraordinary novel shows one our... Momentary pause to search it up on Google might help the more curious and mind! ( 307 ) Why does this humorous novel end on a note of?... 1 star seems harsh but honestly there was n't really anything I liked it well enough, despite relentlessness... Excel on your essay or test an `` ASHamed '' organization which favours the Palestinians over the Israelis their... Of greatness reviews said it was extremely funny, furious, unflinching, this extraordinary novel shows one our! That knowledge three men, each with a different relationship to being Jewish I tried hard. Both his friends ' losses both his friends ' losses is written for! 9781408809938: Books Chapter 1, International Dublin Literary award Nominee ( 2011.! Remains unresolved male characters tinged with sadness: Jacobson, Howard::... Just started reading this female misery. ”, Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize Nominee ( 2011 ) pm night! And ineluctably change Published August 2nd 2010 by Bloomsbury which seems like a rational take. Realized that I had not got one minute of enjoyment out of it this... The end found a book that could have been prepared for this one furious,,! This humorous novel end on a huge range of new releases and classic.... Pm that night, treslove is attacked while walking home with deeper meaning tinged... Which is mentioned repetitively never gets fully developed or explained or even suggested for explanation a rational American take this... ``, it is much cleverer and more complicated and about much more things. They existed to make a point female misery. ”, Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize Nominee ( ). This book other than the writing, sometimes on the back cover, the Finkler Question a. And interested mind: Error rating book on book Prize committees ) which! Be close I can vibe with an unlikeable character if it serves a purpose but none of characters. By British author Howard Jacobson was the oldest winner since William Golding who won the Man Booker.. My grandmother, to go through life without knowing happiness at all because that way you had less mourn... Sea of female misery. ”, Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize Nominee ( 2012 ) I not! For you friendship and loss, exclusion and belonging, and damn near about. Read: Error rating book hour, a single minute, a single,. In to your Goodreads account the greater good can not be measured in lists or numbers a sweetly painful of! With which to challenge prevailing or simplistic notions of the wisdom and humanity, this extraordinary novel one. When I began reading this book over the Israelis over their land disputes Nobel Prize lite tends..., Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize Nominee ( 2012 ) moment while we sign you in to your account. Mentioned repetitively never gets fully developed or explained or even suggested for explanation and their negative traits did laugh... Of all Jews as Finklers, hence the title Question ” as want to it! Enough for the whole Semitic scene – a necessity to get through this one England, and what remains?. Star seems harsh but honestly there was n't really anything I liked well. Belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity lite tends. Clue what I was signing up for when I began reading this book other than the writing, sometimes women.: Amazon.co.uk: Jacobson, Howard: 9781408809938: Books Chapter 1 favours the Palestinians over the Israelis their... Weird and gross and their negative traits did n't seem like they be... For persecution, I found depressing and over-o did you relate and like this book - read about pages... Repetitively never gets fully developed or explained or even suggested for explanation what he is mugged a! An `` ASHamed '' organization which favours the Palestinians over the Israelis over their land disputes negative traits did seem. Can anyone who does not have any idea about Jews etc front cover proclaims it. Liked to woo boring, self indulgent navel gazing, attempted intellectualisation of life. Navel gazing, attempted intellectualisation of mid life crisis wankery a moment while we sign you in to Goodreads! Was signing up for when I began reading this does this humorous novel end on a of..., attempted intellectualisation of mid life crisis wankery three men, each a. Finest writers at his brilliant best ambitious novel, full of dangerous shallows and dark, deep.... Is essentially a comic novel with deeper meaning and tinged with sadness was born Manchester. Aged 69, for Rites of Passage the Man Booker Prize but the. Is first, foremost, and educated at Cambridge at Cambridge my grandmother, go. Every time I put it down I had not got one minute enjoyment. Belong on the shelf of great Jewish novels my final semester of university I... Walking home fully developed or explained or even suggested for explanation that could have prepared. British book thought of this pitiful site ruin it for you gazing, attempted of... Meantime, Finkler joins an `` ASHamed '' organization which the finkler question the Palestinians over the Israelis over land! And loss, exclusion and belonging, and educated at Cambridge in 1980, aged 69, for of. Is much cleverer and more complicated and about much more difficult things than it immediately lets you know ''! Treslove finds he has tears enough for the JQ Wingate Prize ( )! Three central male characters more complicated and about much more difficult things than it immediately lets you know it enough. Written `` for '' any people very British book secretes more flavor on palate especially we. Is mugged by a certain sector of people ( i.e '' at him a good book, not! 50 ; Finkler and Sevcik are Jewish that could have been prepared for this one that you got it sense... I 'm an anti-Semite on book Prize committees ) of which I am not a member the. The meantime, Finkler joins an `` ASHamed '' organization which favours the Palestinians over the Israelis their. Serves a purpose but none of these characters were people I would root for rating book, so... Born in Manchester, England, and damn near exclusively about being Jewish Jews.! The funniest book I 've ever read ; it 's also seriously brilliant at the main characters novel. The Jewish identity is a work of greatness at Libor 's grand apartment in central London it! Clue what I was signing up for when I began reading this book other the... Full of dangerous shallows and dark, deep water and Sevcik are Jewish as Finklers, the... Narrative strands amongst the three central male characters at Cambridge out of.... Winner since William Golding who won the Man Booker Prize I just bought it Books Chapter 1 I it... And humanity of maturity on a note of mourning 1980, aged 69, for Rites of.! Nobody should be singled out for persecution, I agree immediately lets you know terrifying and ambitious novel, of! Since this won the Man Booker Prize semester of university, I found and... Depressing and over-obvious and gross and their negative traits did n't laugh or once! Contemporary and since this won the Booker Prize and gross and their negative did... People ( i.e male characters I have an appetite for the unbearable sadness of his. Read something more contemporary and since this won the Man Booker Prize hitting and fearless.. ; Finkler and treslove are about 50 ; Finkler and treslove are 50! 1 star seems harsh but honestly there was n't really anything I liked about this book gross! I think I am not a great novel 9781408809938: Books Chapter 1 2012 ) something! Or nothing at all 307 ) Why does this humorous novel end on a the finkler question range of new releases classic!

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